I need to clarify something that has confused more than a few of my readers. Canadian publisher Modern Dog Inc. is launching a new magazine called Modern Cat Magazine. The magazine is in no way connected to this blog, Moderncat.net.
Here’s some background:
I created Moderncat.net almost five years ago when I was searching for well-designed products for my cats. Nothing like it existed, so I started this blog. Apparently, lots of other cat owners were looking for the same thing, because they started reading the blog daily. Today, Moderncat.net has more than 22,000 subscribers and receives 300,000+ page views a month, plus the site has 14,000 fans on Facebook and almost 12,000 Twitter followers.
On Modernat.net, I post information about new products that I believe will help improve the lives of cats and their guardians, as well fun things for cat owners whose aesthetic is more Metropolitan Home than Country Living, including graphic design, photography, architecture, and interior design finds. Here, you will regularly find feature stories and fundraisers highlighting various cat rescue organizations. Plus, I’m a big supporter of trap-neuter-return as the most humane way to reduce the number of homeless cats in the US and worldwide.
There’s nothing I love more than helping to launch a new small company that is passionate about making cats’ lives better, either through their products or services. I write about both large and small companies, and try to find affordable options to counterbalance some of the high-priced items I feature. Our DIY section is a great place to find easy and affordable solutions for “catifying” your home.
Over the years, I’ve learned a great deal about the cat product design industry and environmental design for living with cats—lessons I applied in launching two other ventures. At Moderncat Studio, my team designs and produces high-end, handcrafted cat toys, beds, and scratchers available for sale through the Moderncat Studio Etsy shop; and my most recent venture, Moderncat Distribution, is currently the exclusive distributer of The Cat’s Trapeze in the US and Canada.
Moderncat.net has become much more than a blog; it’s an active online community of design-conscious cat lovers. Giveaways commonly receive 1500+ entries, and Facebook and Twitter are always buzzing with people posting and sharing fun cat info with the Moderncat community.
What I really want you to know is that there is a real person behind Moderncat.net. It’s me, Kate Benjamin, and I’m a cat mom to 10 furkids who I love more than anything in the world. I live in a funky 1971 condo in Phoenix, Arizona, that I completely renovated to be cat-friendly, including the addition of an enclosed catio. I support several local and national cat rescue organizations, I do TNR, and I foster kittens that friends find in the street. My entire world revolves around cats! This is my passion and my life.
So with that, I would like to introduce Miss Moderncat, the person behind Moderncat.net, Moderncat Studio, Moderncat Distribution, CattooDesign.com, and CatioShowcase.com. You will be seeing more of Miss Moderncat soon, stay tuned for important announcements. Read more about Miss Moderncat at MissModerncat.com. You can follow Miss Moderncat on Facebook and Twitter.
I appreciate your ongoing support more than I can say. Most of all, I’m truly honored to share my life with so many real cat lovers.
June 26th, 2012 at 8:01 am
You are incredible, Kate!
June 26th, 2012 at 8:33 am
Well said Kate!
Love what you do, what you stand for and YOU!!
Best!
♥toni
=^..^=
June 26th, 2012 at 8:38 am
It was GREAT meeting you at BlogPaws, Kate! I have LOVED Moderncat ever since I stumbled onto it just a year or so ago. A lover of design and all things modern, I was instantly in love. And now that I know you, your story, and have had a chance to ‘hang’ in the Catification Lounge, I love it even more. You rock!
xo Glogirly
June 26th, 2012 at 9:19 am
Kate – we love your sites & your blog & your products! And Miss Moderncat is holding a GORGEOUS black beauty! Cheers to you!
Laura Carter & Selina
June 26th, 2012 at 9:23 am
You know at first I thought that ModernCat Magazine WAS you!! I am glad to know that it is not!
There is only ONE KATE! You are brilliant, unique, talented and have an uncanny knack for knowing (and providing) what the public wants!
Sorry I didn’t get to see you again at BlogPaws this year but will re-connect with you NEXT YEAR for sure!
xoxo
June 26th, 2012 at 9:37 am
Kate — you are the one and only Moderncat in our hearts. And I love Miss Moderncat…can’t wait to learn more about her! I grew up in a home surrounded by Eames, van der Rohe, and Saarinen furniture, so your guide to well-designed cat furniture is a breath of fresh air to me.
June 26th, 2012 at 9:43 am
Thanks for clarifying the issue. I was truly under the impression that Modern Cat Magazine was you. I love your blog and your products. Keep up the good work!
June 26th, 2012 at 9:47 am
Hi Kate! Thanks for this website. I too am frustrated by all the hideously ugly cat stuff out there, and I was so glad to find this bastion of good taste, classy carpeting only, and clean lines. Too bad it’s still all really expensive for my budget, but I am sure that as it gets more mainstream (thanks to you and other cat bloggers) more and more stylish, affordable options will come in
June 26th, 2012 at 10:02 am
I wasn’t confused, but I LOVE MissModerncat.com–along with everything else you do, of course!
June 26th, 2012 at 10:28 am
Love, love, love Moderncat.net – always have, always will!
June 26th, 2012 at 10:29 am
Love your site, will contnue to read and enjoy it.
June 26th, 2012 at 11:10 am
There is only one Moderncat for me and it is you! As one of the small businesses who has benefited from having my passion for cats and other animals shared with your following, I am eternally grateful. meeting up with you at BlogPaws was one of the greatest highlights of a conference full of highlights. Thanks for all you do!
June 26th, 2012 at 12:28 pm
LOVE getting the daily fix of cat related objects!
Thank you!
June 26th, 2012 at 5:53 pm
Kate and the rest of the folks here are funkie enough to suit Punks and me. I only have 10 sites hotlinked in my browser; 8 are news services, one is (of course) lolcats and the other is Moderncat.net… don’t see that changing any time soon.
June 26th, 2012 at 6:16 pm
I’m just glad I found you. Your Catio Showcase inspired me to make an outdoor playground for my feline family members (and a few rotating fosters) and they thank you every day. Many of the products you feature are a little pricey for me, but I love to see them anyway. Thanks for everything. I hope we stay friends for many years to come.
June 26th, 2012 at 7:07 pm
Love your blog! Love seeing new products for my kitties.
June 27th, 2012 at 7:07 am
Kate, my cats and I love what you do! (Even though they can’t read, they love you!)
Keep on keepin’ on, and thanks for fighting the good fight for cats everywhere! (And for featuring drool-worthy cat goodies!)
June 27th, 2012 at 10:34 am
Moderncat is amazing Kate, you’ve done a wonderful job.
June 27th, 2012 at 10:48 am
It was so great to finally meet you in person! You’ve done an amazing job with Modern Cat and in all that you do. Hopefully we can work together a bit more – especially since we’re so near one another. Keep fighting the good fight – it will all work out! >^..^<
June 27th, 2012 at 1:47 pm
Great post, Kate! I love your site and seeing all the awesome cat products out there. I’m looking forward to following Miss Moderncat as well
Keep up the wonderful work!
July 1st, 2012 at 2:59 pm
Well Kate I’m glad that I stumbled on to your blog a little over a year ago and I’m happy to support a woman who shares the same passion for cats that I do. Because of you my wish list grows nearly every day and my kitties love you for it!! Thanks and keep up the good work.
July 1st, 2012 at 9:21 pm
So great meeting you at BlogPaws! The Catification Lounge was awesome, and I appreciate this post too… Keep it up; you’re doing a fabulous job!
July 2nd, 2012 at 3:31 pm
Love this site. Looking forward to your new venture.